In the Cannibal's Lair, Ghost King Faces Heavenly Officials
Xie Lian turned his head to look at that dejected looking kneeling statue and said, "Qi Rong was right about one thing. I am quite the failure."
"Don't believe in the words of a useless trash like him," Hua Cheng said gently, "Other than being good at not dying and running away, he's got nothing else going for him. He can't even level up to a 'Supreme' after eight hundred years. Even beating him up would only dirty hands."
Xie Lian's lips jerked upwards, thinking wasn't he also the same? Only good at not dying and running away, even after eight hundred years, he'd only gotten so far himself, which was nowhere.
At first when he saw Lang Qianqiu as the martial god of the east, ranking as a high heavenly official, but maintained his old character, still straightforward, still falling asleep in boring meetings, he felt rather comforted. Yet, from now on, who knows how he would change? He went in pursuit of Qi Rong; once that's done, how would he end things with Xie Lian?
Xie Lian stood up, and slowly walked to the statue. He stood in front of it head on; that face was indeed exactly the same as his own, only it was carved in a sorrowful expression, its face covered in tears, scrunched up and ugly. After staring at it for a moment, Xie Lian sighed and placed his hand on its head, pouring in a powerful blow.
When he removed his hand, two long crevices crawled over the cheeks of the statue, and soon after, the crying face broke apart. The statue collapsed and crumbled into small rocks, falling to the ground, never to be restored.
When Xie Lian turned around again, his usual gentle and peaceful expression was back on his face. He rubbed his forehead and said, "Qi Rong's lair probably still has a lot of humans hidden, let me go find them and let them go."
Hua Cheng stood up too, "Let's go."
During the ruckus earlier, all the little green lantern ghosts in Qi Rong's lair had run away, and those who didn't were hidden in the shadows, afraid to come out. The two searched all over, nabbing a couple unfortunate little ghosts along the way and forced them to lead, and they found many caves used for 'storing fresh food'. Counting roughly, the number of people Qi Rong captured for consumption was actually no less than three hundred; they were either nearby villagers or travelers.
The two unlocked jail cells as they roamed, letting go of all the detainees. With tasks at hand, Xie Lian was able to change focus and calm down. Now that they're free, he also had the time to chat with Hua Cheng, so he pondered at his words but asked anyway, "By the way, San Lang, I wanted to ask you about something."
"What is it?" Hua Cheng asked.
"How did you know that Qi Rong was the mastermind behind the Gilded Banquet plot?" Xie Lian asked.
At first he didn't know why Hua Cheng brought himself and Lang Qianqiu to the Green Ghost's lair, but now he did. Hua Cheng's objective was to have Lang Qianqiu hear for himself Qi Rong's confession to the whole Gilded Banquet scheme.
"Qi Rong didn't know that I was Fang Xin," Xie Lian said, "If he had known, he'd would've harassed me from the start. At the time, although I knew the old Xianle royals were plotting something underhanded, I didn't know it was Qi Rong behind it all either. So how did you find out? How long have you known this?"
"Not too long," Hua Cheng waved his hand and walked alongside him, "I've run into Qi Rong a few times and learned the kind of person he is. Qi Rong was of Xianle when he was alive, and regarded YongAn with deep hatred. He was good at the art of provocation, fanning fires and fabricating situations. Many of the major assassination plots of the YongAn nobles were all headed by him, but he hid really well."
Xie Lian shook his head, "So he already had a history. Good thing he's good at hiding, otherwise if the heavens found out he had a hand in all those mortal conflicts, they would not show him any mercy."
"Spilling blood at the Gilded Banquet was very much his style," Hua Cheng said, "So I had always believed the mastermind was him, and the Guoshi Fang Xin was his lackey. But, in the upper court, since Lang Qianqiu identified you as the Guoshi Fang Xin, then there was no way Fang Xin and Qi Rong would be on the same boat."
Xie Lian's steps slowed. It seemed that even though Hua Cheng wasn't present in the heavens, he was still very informed of what went on in the Great Martial Hall. And not just that, he was also very knowledgeable of Xie Lian's personal relationship with Qi Rong.
Hua Cheng continued, "Nevertheless, I still leaned towards Qi Rong as the mastermind, or at least the one who started the whole thing. The common remnant citizens of Xianle, after Lang Qianqiu's father had ascended the throne, had received much improvements in their lives, and no longer thought of avenging their fallen kingdom. The only ones who couldn't let go would be the royal house of Xianle. At the time, the only remaining descendant was Prince An Le. If Qi Rong wanted to solicit anyone into starting anything, it must be him. Very conveniently, this individual randomly died of an unknown illness right after the Gilded Banquet, was that not obviously suspect?"
Xie Lian nodded, and Hua Cheng concluded, "So he was more than likely killed, and the reason for his death had something to do with the Gilded Banquet. My first deduction was it was the work of YongAn nobility, but nothing happened to the remnant citizens of Xianle, so it couldn't have been them. I thought about it, and came to my present conclusion."
Xie Lian smiled and was amazed, "With so little clues and yet you could deduce so accurately."
"It's not hard," Hua Cheng said, "You just have to know really well of the main people involved."
"That's for sure, but in your deduction, there was a significant preamble I don't understand."
"And that is?" Hua Cheng asked.
"Why do you believe so firmly that the one who made the first move must be Qi Rong?"
"It wasn't that I believed he did it. I just believed that you didn't."
Hearing this, Xie Lian stopped smiling. He was quiet for a moment before asking, "Why is that?"
"If you had admitted to spilling blood at the Gilded Banquet using any other reason, then I would've believed it was you." Hua Cheng replied. "The YongAn king was sincere in his rule, loved by the people, and yet Lang Qianqiu said the reason you told him was 'I couldn't stand seeing you in that position'."
"That was the model declaration of one overthrowing the crown. But if those words came from you, then it'd be a poor attempt at tarnishing your own name."
Hearing this, Xie Lian puffed a laugh soundlessly, "Tarnishing my own name? Did you not think that I might not have harboured those thoughts deep down inside? Maybe I do have some resentments hidden?"
"Thoughts are thoughts, you wouldn't have acted upon them." Hua Cheng said.
"You–" Xie Lian closed his eyes and shook his head, as if undecided whether to comment. Hua Cheng urged, "What? Tell me. It won't matter."
Xie Lian chewed on his words, but finally said, "I just think, it's best for people not to have too much hope in another."
"Oh?" Hua Cheng hummed, "And what do you mean by that?"
"Don't think someone overly perfect." Xie Lian replied, "If it's just watching a shadow from afar and never having to interact, then whatever. But once acquainted and you grow close, one day you'll end up finding that this person was not what you had imagined, maybe even the complete opposite. When that happens, you'll be very disappointed."
Hua Cheng disagreed, "You never know. I don't care if anyone else is disappointed. But to some, the very existence of a certain person in this world is in itself, hope."
Although he didn't specify who "some" were, and who "a certain person" was, his tone plain and casual like it was an offhand comment, Xie Lian's heart lifted, he felt light, even.
He paused in his step and couldn't speak. Some moments after he suddenly blurted, "San Lang, who are you, really?"
Hua Cheng stopped too, and turned his head to look at him.
Xie Lian looked squarely in his eyes and asked thoughtfully, "You knew who Qi Rong was, and knew the kind of person he is. You knew who I am, and knew how to paint the God-Pleasing Crown Prince. You seem to know everything about me. You know a lot. Maybe even more."
Hua Cheng raised his eyes, "Don't I always know a lot?"
Xie Lian shook his head, "It's not the same."
His left hand held his right elbow while his right hand propped his chin, he looked at Hua Cheng in wonder, "I've always had the feeling that you are someone from my past, and must've known me from very early on. Maybe it was during my first ascension, no, maybe even earlier. Yet... I really don't remember. When have I ever met a character like you?"
Someone like Hua Cheng would be unforgettable after the first meeting. Xie Lian had never bashed his head in and lost his memories, so if they had met, there was no reason to not remember.
Xie Lian stared at him, looking somewhat bemused, "Who are you exactly? Have I met you before?"
Hua Cheng didn't answer, but his lips lifted softly. Xie Lian immediately came to, and realized his questions were extremely inappropriate.
A ghost's real name was usually a secret; unless it's someone unfathomably abnormal like Qi Rong, there was no reason to tell it to anyone.
Xie Lian hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, don't mind me. I was just asking. You don't have to answer me. Whoever you are doesn't matter."
Just then, Hua Cheng's eyes squinted. Xie Lian realized he must've noticed something and turned his head back. Behind them from not far within a cave came noisy chatters, and a clear, loud voice of a woman came, "I told you, my powers are stronger in the female form, even my luck is better! Yet you still wouldn't let me. Do you see now? We rolled it right this time!!!"
It was Shi Qingxuan's voice. Xie Lian blurted out, "Lord Wind Master!"
As he had guessed, a white clad lady cultivator came sprinting out of a cave, and her eyes lit up when she saw Xie Lian, "I found him! His Highness is here!"
However, she then saw the Hua Cheng standing behind Xie Lian, and her face fell immediately. She leapt backwards and flashed the Wind Master fan before her. Before Xie Lian had the chance to say anything, another voice of a man echoed from within the cave, "Did you find him? How're things?"
The voice was coming closer, and soon the shadow of another appeared, and it was Feng Xin. He had in his left hand a long, black bow, and the moment he saw Hua Cheng he pulled back the silver bowstring, high on alert. Hua Cheng chuckled and made no comment. Xie Lian hurriedly said, "Put away your weapons, we can talk this out."
The four ran into each other on the narrow path of the Green Ghost's lair, two against two. Feng Xin had the bowstring pulled fully, a string of spiritual light formed into the shape of an arrow within his right hand, and he aimed it at Hua Cheng. He spoke first, his voice full of warning, "Your Highness, come here."
Feng Xin's bow was gifted by Jun Wu, named FengShen¹ Bow, and it's a rather troublesome spiritual device. Xie Lian was afraid he'd shoot for real, and rushed to stand in front of Hua Cheng, shielding him. But unexpectedly, Hua Cheng grabbed him from behind, and pulled him right back.
That pull startled the other two. Shi Qingxuan immediately raised his hand, "Hua Cheng! Crimson Rain Sought Flower! D-d-d-don't do anything rash! The burning of your Paradise Manor was an accident! If you're displeased, we can talk! The heavens can pay you back. His majesty isn't that short on cash. Let go of His Highness, and let's talk."
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Translator Notes:
¹FengShen translates to the God of Wind